America's Aircraft Engines

September 17, 2002

I drove to Tulsa (actually, Collinsville a little north of Tulsa) to pick up my engine today at America's Aircraft engines. 

 I was mostly working with the owners Richard and Steve Fowler, but they were still at the Reno air races when I visited.  Their shop was busy:

Their main assembly area - you can see several engines on stands and in the process of being built or rebuilt.

They go through a lot of cylinders!

We opened my engine to inspect some of the parts of it and went over what all was included.  They had run mine through a battery of tests and measured various engine parameters at varying engine speeds to make sure all was within spec.  An operator's manual and logbook was included, as well as a description of the test run.

After getting the paper work out of the way, they loaded the engine on the truck. Now to get it home and get it off the truck without the forklift!

Back at home, I took the top off the truck and backed it into the garage.  A shop crane is pushed over the box, and the smaller boxes inside have been removed.

Above, you can see the crane hook dipping down to a loop that they bolted onto the engine at the factory.  The loop is located on the engine COG, and you can just make out the red straps that holds the engine to the pallet with a big piece of Styrofoam in between..  In order to allow the hook to reach the loop, I had to cut a small opening for the crane on the box, and move the wooden support forward a bit.  From here, it lifted easily and was placed on the floor.  My older son helped me take the top off the truck, and is glad to see the engine home, too!

Images on this website are either Copyright Zenith Aircraft Company and used by permission or are copyright Gary Liming